Tone-softening mechanism for autopneumatic pianos.



W. A K" P11 n I TONE SOFTENING MEGHANISM FOR AUTOPNIBUMATIG PIANOS. APPLICATIOH FILLED JUEE 7, 1912.

1,05 (5,0, 54; Patente@ Elm. 18, i913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M b @caff W. A. KUPP. TUNE SOFTENING MEGHANISM FOR AUTOFNEUMATIG MANOS. APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 17, 1912.

2 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

g @a Ei Y ffy/fm Patented Maf. 18, i913.

WILLIAM ARMETT KUPP, F

S'll.l JOHNSVILLE, NEW YCRK, ASSIGNOR T0 F. ENGEL- HARDT & SONS, 0F ST. JOHNSVILLE, NW YORK.

TONE-SOFTENING MECHANISM FOR AUTOPNEUMTIC PIANOS.

I Specification ofLetters Patent. Patented D131', 18, 1913 Application filed June 17, 1912. Serial No. 704,032.

To au whom t may concern:

' A11 instrument to Aing ery, `and State of' New York, a new and Improved Tone-Softening anism `for Autopneumatic Pianos,

I #989,152 granted The movable Be' it known that I, WILLIAM lARME'UI KUPP, a citizen ogthe United States, residat St. Johnsville, county of Montgomhave invented Mechofwhich the following is a specifications This invent-ion relates to improvements in coin-controlled autopneumatic pianos and f comprises more particularly novel means sound whenever desired. whichthe invention is aplicable is for instance described in Patent to A. J. Hobart on April which ladditional sets of perthe tune sheet control vcorrethe'tracker bar that are in turn connected to the valves and bellows of the expression-device.

for subduing the 11th, .19.11 in forations in h spending openings in According to the present invention novel manually operable means are interpolated between the tracker bar-openings and said valvesland bellows, which permit a 'regulation ofthe expressionat will afid independent of the automatic regulation performed by the music sheet, l

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a left hand side view 'of a part of a piano embodying .my invention; IFig 2 a right hand side view partly in section thereof; Fig. 3 a longitudinal section through the expression regulator proper and coperating parts; Fig/4 a plan of the duct block, showing the slide detached and reversed; Fig. 5 a cross section on line 5-5, Fig. 3; Fig; 6 a similar section through the block and slide on line 6-6, Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 a diagram showing several pneumatics The .pneumatics or bellows 10,11, 12, 13, 14, illustrated in Fig. 7 correspond in all respects to the bellows 137, 161 167, 172, 178 illustrated 1in Fig.` 19 of thepatenthereinabove referred'to, the bellows 10 being actuated for rewinding the tune sheet and not forming part of the present invention. board of bellows 11 carries a inger-15' which is by rod 16 connected to a slide valve 17 constituting an expression regulator and adapted to partially or fully close an. opening/1 8 which is in turn adapt- 4 4ed to establisl communication between the '/tu/ating bellows.

umchamber and the hammer ac- 'lhis-cliamber and the be mai the tubing between the springs 42 .is provided lows are not shown because not forming part of the present invention, they being however fully disclosed-in the patent above cited. Valve 17 is adapted to be locked either in a half-closed or in a fully-closed p osition by its linger 15 engaging respectively the `first notch 19 or the second notch 20 of an arm 21 carried by thev movable board of trip bellows 12.

The movable boardofbellows 13 is by link 22 connected to pf the piano action, said board also carrying a inger24 which is adapted to engage the shoulder 25 of a gravity lever 26. The

the hammer rail 23 free end of-this lever rests upon a plate 2 7, r'70 projectingfrom the movable board of trip bellows 14. Bellows 11, 13 are respectively connected by, tubes 28, 29 and a common tube 30 to the box 31 containing vthe bellowactuating valves, while trip/bellows 12, 14 are respectively connected by tubes 3 2, 33 and a common tube valves of box- 31, all as fully disclosed in the above cited patent. In the latter however,- the bellow-actuating valves are shown 34 to 'corresponding to be directly'connected to the tracker-bar,

while with the present invention, a manually 'operable sound controller' R is interpolatedv between said valves and the tracker bar. Controller R consists of a perforated block 35 secured preferably to the in'ner face of one of the side plates 36 that form part of a piano case 37. Upon block 35 is slidably mounted a valve 38 provided at each end with a guide'slot 39 adapted for the'accom'- modation of screws 40, ,ta'pp 35, aglayer 41 of felt or similar soft material being advantageously interposed between the block'and valve. In order to permitan easy play of the latter while maintaining a close contact between the valve and block, are fitted on screws 40 between the screw-heads and washers 43. 4Valve 38 with a rack 44 into which meshes a pinion 4 5 fast on a. spindle 46 that passes through plate 36 and carries at its outer end a knob 47, The latter is pref-4 Bloclg is provided'with a v.pair of trans- .versely a ined perforatons or ducts '52, 53

ed into block,

erably provided with a beveled circular entering tube 56.

i into block 35 fitted into block nent communication will be established beof controller R does in l Vinor er to automatically alter the expresas not to interfere with say the use of a telel have temporarily registered with duct 52,

that are connectedby a transverse bottom 'corresponding valves contained in box 31,

"3 duct 59 is closed the' parts 68, 66, 65, 1 manrl, a permanent communication will be establish the above citedl patent #989,152.

bellows 11 and 13, bellows 11 being maintained .in their groove 54 of valve 38 -dur'ing the normal by th play of the instrument, in which event the parts occupy the position illustrated in Fig. Duct communicates with a T-shaped coupling-member 55 fitted into block Coupling-55 is by a tube 56 connected to e engagement of their finger 15 with first notch 19 of arm 21, while bellows 13 are maintained collapsed owin Vto the engagement of their finger 24 with shoulder 25 of lever 26.' By the' partialcollaps'e of bellows 11, valve 17 is partly closed, so as to reduce the vacuum in the action bel# lows, thereby reducing the forceof the hammer stroke. Through the collapse of bellows 13, the hammer rail 23 is raised to reduce the hammer-stroke, so that by the joint action of bellows 11, 13,' the loudness of the tone vwill bel reduced corresponding to a soft or piano playing. If it is desired to still further reduce theexpression of the )iano by playing pianissimo instead o piano, knob 47 is turned so as to bring valve 38 into its terminal left. hand position, during which movement a vent of said valve will have temporarily registered with duct 60, so as to admit air into tube 64 andthus actuatethe corresponding valves in box 31 and thereby cause a collapse of trip bellows 12, 14.' The fingers 15, 24 will. thus be freed to permit an expansion l'of bello-ws 11, 13 thereby returnin the parts 17 and 23 to their original positions. After vent 75 has cleared duct 6, a pair of transversely alined vents 76 and 77 will come into alinement with ducts 59 and 67Y respectively.

which valves are in turn connected to the tube 30 hereinabove referred to. Coupling 55 is further by tube 57 connected to an elbow 58 fitted into block 35 and communi-1 eating with a duct 5 9 thereof. When the parts occupy the position illustrated in Fig.

by an imperforate portion of valve 38, so as to prevent air from Intermediate ducts 52, 53 and duct 59, there isy provided in block 35 an additional duct 60 which communicates with anl elbow 61. The latter is in turn by tube 62 connected to'a Tshaped coupling 63 which is by tube 64 connected to those valves in box 31 lthat coperate with the tube 34;?. Coupling63 is further connected by tube 65 with a T-shaped coupling 66 which is fitted and communicates with a. duct 67 thereof..` Coupling 66 is by tube 68 connected to an opening 69 of tracker bar 70, said opening being controlled by'the usual. tune sheet- 703.' Another' opening 71 of this bar is by tube 72 connected to an elbow 73 and communicating with, the duct' 53 hereinabove referred to.

It will be seen' that when the parts occupy is slight-ly out of transverse alinement with the posltlon lllustrated 1n Fig. 3, permaduct 6 so 4that during .the movement of valve 38 toward the left, duct 67 vwill be uncovered by vent 77 slightly prior to the uncovering of duct 59 by vent 76, the mutual arrangement of the ducts however being such that both ducts are jointly uncovered for a certain length of time.

tweentracker bar-opening 69 and the valves of box 3 1 pertaining to bellows 12 and 14, said'communieation being formed through 63 and 64. In like ed between tracker bar-opening 71 and the valves pertaining to bellows 11 and 13 through the parts 72, 73, '53,754, 52, 55 and 56. It is thus evident that thcaddition no wise inteufege with the normal play of the instrument whenever the openings 69, 71 are uncoveredl by corres onding perforationsof the tune sheet toward4 the left admitted through to the valves of eration', duct 59 air through the parts 76,59, 58, 57, 55, 56 to the valves offbellows 1'1 and 13. As trip bellows 12 are thus collapsed prior to the collapse of bellows 11, finger 15 will pass over the first notch 19 and will engage the second notch 20 of lever 21, A's bellows 12 aswell as bellows 14 4are expanded prior to the expansion yof bellows 11, 13, the latter will be locked in their collapsed state by notch 2O and shoulder 25respectively. In this way, valve 17 is eompletelyclosed, the air being thus permitted to be withdrawn from the hammer actuating bellows through Ya permanently is not shown because not forming part of the present invention, said portbeing fully disclosed in the a ove citelp'ateit.A In addision of the instrument as 'fully described in If it is desired to mellow the tone of' the instrument for a certain length of time, so

phone or for other reasons, to an extent indicated by marking on plate 18 and which movement a vent 74.

knob 47 is turned a corresponding disk 49 during" of valve 38 will' to admit atmospheric air in said duct; Owing to the entrance of air into duct 52 and tube 56, the cor'respoilding valves (not shown) of box 3l will be a/ctuated to collapse partly collapsed conditionl It will be seen that while valve 38 is slid .mediately after the completion of this op-4 will be uncovered to admit opened additional port which Asis apparent from Fig. 4, the duct'59 tion to the closing of valve 17, hammer rail 23 is raised to reduce the hammer stroke, thus causing the desired pianissimo play of the instrument. lf the expression is to be again automatically regulated by the tune sheet, knob t7 is turned in the reverse direction, thereby returning slide valve 3S to its original position illustratedin Fig. 3.

It will be seen that by my invention novel and eective means are provided for mellowing the tone of a selfplaying pneumatic piano to a greater or less extent, and also for any length of time desired, volume of tone may at all times be controlled without regard to 'the eXpression regulation of the tune sheet.

I claim:

1. A tone-softening mechanism for autoneumatic pianos comprising an expression regulator, first bellows operatively connected thereto, second bellows having means for locking the first bellows in 'their partly or fully collapsed position, abloclt having ducts that are operatively connected to both of said bellows, a valve controlling said ducts, and manuallyl operable means for setting said valve. 2. A tone-softening mechanism for autopneumatic pianos comprising an expression regulator, first bellows operatively connected thereto, second bellows having means for locking the first bellows in their partly or fully collapsed position, av tracker bar having passages, a tune sheet controlling` said passages, a block having first ducts that are operatively connected to the passages and second ducts that are connected to said first and second bellows, a valve controlling said so that the first and second ducts, and manually operable means for sett-ing said valve.

A. tonesoftening mechanism for autopneumatic pianos comprising first bellows, tone-sottening` means controlled thereby, second bellows having means for maintaining the first bellows in the position to which they have been set, a tracker bar having passages, a tune sheet controlling said passages, a valve boxco-nnected to said first and second bellows, and a manually operable valve pio Avided with first means for establishing tree communication between the tracker barpassages and valve box so as to render said bellows operable by the tune sheet, and with second means for rendering the bellows operable independent of' the tune sheet..

4f. A mechanism ot the character described,comprising a valve block having a pair of transversely alined first -perforations, a second perforation, and a pair of transversely overlapping third pertorations, a valve slidably'engaging said` block and provided with a groove that is adapted to establish communication between the first perforations, and with a number of perforations that are adapted to consecutively conW neet the second and third ducts with the atmospheric air, a rack on said valve, a pinion engaging said rack, a knob, a spindle on which said pinion and knob are mounted, and means cooperating with the knob for ,l visibly indicating the position of the valve.

VHJLIAM ARME' T KUPP.

Vtitnesses W. L. ENGELHARDT, Alevn FLaNDnas. 

